<p>Hi. I'm a freshman of 2018 a the university of Pittsburgh. I'm not ready to learn more. I'm tired all the time. I go to my classes and don't see the point. They bore me. I'm tired of going to classes and being evaluated. I want something meaningful in my life. I want to see things and go places. I'm not happy here. I feel out of place. I'm not a fan of the social aspects of college. I don't fit in. I know I'm not the only one because of the posts on an app called "yik yak." There are a lot of other lonely people here. But they still look forward to their studies. I sit and day dream. I wish I was somewhere else where I didn't have to be quizzed. I am taking algebra to relearn things correctly as my high was not the best. I made it to calculus but felt it would be better just to start all over. I'm already overwhelmed. I can't sit down for more than half an hour without wanting to do something extremely impulsive (suicidal thoughts, but I know I won't.) I try not to call my mom because it just brings me down. I haven't had a day go by that I haven't wanted to drop out. I've been here now for 13 days. I'm tired. I'm sad. I don't want to do this for the next four years. School just isn't for me. I keep coming to the same conclusion. I'm not a student. Nothing is motivating me to push forward. I just spend my days browsing the internet and attending different club meetings (radio, fencing, bodybuilding). I have no appreciation for this institution. I want to drop out. If I drop all classes by the fifth I will get a full refund. I'm just so tired. I don't drink. I haven't smoked pot for a month. I want to do something meaningful. This is all just so superficial and hollow. I have no options though. I feel like I may get to a point further down the road, when the pittsburgh weather really gets bad, that I will just drop out and hit the road. I feel like I'm wasting my money. I met a few cool people but it doesn't matter. If I don't have the motivation now, why would I get it later? I'm just so tired of school.</p>
<p>To clarify, its not so much the school. I like the school. I like the activities. I met some people. I just don't want to waste four years of my life doing something I don't want to do. I passed senior year by doing the bare minimum, because I was tired of school then. I thought summer would give me some time to decompress and prepare. But it didn't. I'm at the point of saying forget it and just blowing off classes and skipping out. There has to be another way to live that is more fulfilling and meaningful </p>
<p>Okay, ask yourself this: If you drop out, what will you do? What kinds of careers are you interested in, does it require a degree? If you don’t get a college degree, how will it affect the rest of your plans?</p>
<p>If you’re not happy with going to class, are there more interesting classes you could be taking? I absolutely hated GE classes, but I looked forward to the ones in my major… even with assignments and tests, it was fun, and I enjoyed going. Are you taking classes you like, or are you taking classes that are required? If you find the subject interesting it’s usually less of a chore.</p>
<p>It might also help to write out a schedule. Right now it sounds like you’re totally overwhelmed. Have you tried blocking out the day for different activities? Designate a couple hours for class and studying (with breaks!), and other hours for fun things. Don’t let yourself do any work during the fun hours, but buckle down and study during the school hours. It might be a little less stressful if you plan a little more.</p>
<p>You could also try taking a semester off, look into your school’s policy about this. Take a break, sleep, maybe get a job for a while, and clear your mind. Then you’ll be more refreshed when you go back to school.</p>
<p>Talk to your family, and make a plan on how you would spend your time during a “gap year” before you discuss this with them. If you can show that you would not spend time playing video games and partying, but would instead fill the year with meaningful experiences, work, travel, etc, maybe they will see the benefit such a year could bring you. See if your college would allow you to withdraw and defer your attendance to next year. Then you will have time to really decide if you want to return to school, or pursue your education part-time while working instead. No one says the only way to learn is full time. Lots of people work and study part-time instead. Some people don’t do college at all, but apprentice for a trade instead. What do you want to do with your future? Do you need a degree, or are there other paths you can take to the same goal? I think it’s mature of you to realize you don’t want to waste the money on school you don’t appreciate. Good luck to you! Work quickly, the 5th is coming soon. Don’t lose money by waiting…</p>
<p>Why can’t you find meaningful things to do in college? I’ve made tons of memories and plenty of amazing experiences and I’m a sophomore who’s not even back for my second year yet. I’d talk to someone and real boil down what you’re feeling, because saying you want to do something meaningful wouldn’t make me want to drop out, in fact it’d motivate me to stay in school even more. Talk to your family, talk to your advisor, talk to people who know you and who you can communicate face to face with to really understand what you’re feeling.</p>
<p>You say that you don’t want to spend four years doing something that you don’t want to do. So what do you want to do? If you’re working towards a goal, rather than just going to college because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do, you may be able to find more motivation to keep working. What kind of career do you want? Do you need a college degree for it? You don’t have to stay in college, but you do have to figure out some plan for what you’re going to do.</p>
<p>Also, do things that you enjoy besides school. Set time aside to do something fun with friends or just do something besides school. If you feel like school isn’t meaningful, then do something that you think is meaningful. Volunteer, get a job, tutor, whatever makes you feel like you’re doing something worthwhile. If you want to go see places, see if you can fit in time to study abroad. Plan out a trip with friends for spring break or summer. I don’t think dropping out impulsively is going to make you feel better. If you do want to take a break from school, that’s fine. Just come up with a plan first and talk to your parents about it, or you may find yourself just sitting at home doing nothing meaningful.</p>